Facilities by ADF: A Sustainable Journey

Sustainability in the TV and Film industry is no longer just a future goal; it’s a growing priority across productions today. Studios, streamers, and crews are paying closer attention to environmental impact – and increasingly, they’re turning to partners who can help them meet their goals without compromise.

At Facilities by ADF, we take that responsibility seriously. Over the last few years, we’ve moved from taking early steps into building a confident, company-wide strategy; embedding sustainable thinking into how we power unit bases, build trailers, plan routes, and train our teams.

Our journey, like many others, was shaped by experience – evolving through collaboration and the lessons we learned along the way.

From First Steps to Strategy

In 2021, we supported the production of feature film Havoc, a Gareth Evans film which was produced in South Wales by Severn Screen, One More One Productions and XYZ Films. This was a turning point in our sustainability journey. From the outset, the production came to us with strong environmental ambitions, working closely with production’s dedicated sustainability consultant, Tilly Ashton. They weren’t just looking to get the job done, they were looking to do it differently.

We contributed to the production’s sustainability goals by supplying eco cleaning products across all trailers and tracking fuel use for early carbon reporting. There were some learning curves, of course – but what stood out most was the collaborative spirit and their willingness to trial new, greener practices, which they implemented successfully.

That partnership gave us a clearer vision of what was possible, and with key learnings and recommendations from Tilly, it gave us the confidence to take things further.

Since then, sustainability has become a central focus at ADF, an area where we can advise, support, and lead with knowledge. Increasingly, sustainability is part of the conversation – not just as an optional extra, but as part of a shared ambition to do better. As an Albert accredited supplier, we meet rigorous industry standards, which underpins our commitment to continuous improvement.

Together with our environmental consultants Neptune Sustainability, we’ve built a framework that informs our operations, training, and policies; ensuring our environmental commitments are meaningful, measurable, and based on the areas where we can make the biggest difference.

Sustainable Services That Deliver

Over the past few years, we’ve introduced a range of sustainable services that are increasingly being adopted by the productions we support. These options are easy to implement, readily available, and proven to deliver real impact.

Today, all our unit bases are compatible with HVO fuel, reducing reliance on diesel. We offer hybrid generators with integrated battery systems that help cut both emissions and noise. All our vehicles are Euro 6 compliant, and we provide HVO-powered unit base moves – a service we’re pleased to see more and more productions choosing to use. Our trailers also come equipped with LED lighting and eco-certified cleaning products.

But equally important is the investment in skilled people. Our base teams, yard teams and account managers are on hand to help with our sustainable practices, meaning they can offer real support to production teams on the ground.

In 2022, we welcomed Location One, the UK’s leading locations supplier into the ADF group. As a long-standing advocate for sustainability with decades of on-the-ground experience, they’ve been a valuable addition. Together, we offer a joined-up approach for productions, with complementary services such as our EcoBase package – designed to reflect our shared commitment to doing things better. EcoBase brings together the equipment, knowledge, and setup needed to help productions start greener from day one.

You can learn more about all our services at facilitiesbyadf.com

Production Highlights

Last year saw a real growth in sustainability initiatives, such as on the brilliant independent feature film Mr Burton, also produced by Severn Screen. From the outset, the team were very keen to implement greener solutions across the shoot. Working collaboratively, we helped Severn Screen to run the base on HVO-powered generators, implement a three-bin waste segregation system across trailers and cast areas, and ensure that only eco-friendly products were used in all units.

What stood out most though, was the shared commitment to making a positive impact. On the final day of shooting, our team worked together with the production to collect and redistribute surplus food from trailers – which then got delivered to a local hostel in Wales. It’s the kind of hands-on effort that reminds us that this is more than a checklist, it’s a culture shift.

“One of our goals at Severn Screen is to minimise the environmental impact of production. To achieve this in practice we work with partners and suppliers who share this aim. We had fantastic support for our sustainability initiatives from the ADF team while making Mr Burton. They didn’t just deliver on what we needed – they helped us push things further, together.”
— Tilly Ashton, Sustainability Consultant

On a recent Sky production in North Wales, the team initially aimed to avoid a traditional unit base to minimise emissions by instead using local hotels and community centres. However, the practical challenges of rural winter filming made a unit base necessary. We worked alongside the crew to create a greener alternative, implementing a hybrid generator that cut emissions by 80%, streamlining waste segregation, and providing eco-friendly products with trained teams to make a visible impact throughout the shoot.

Beyond the Base: Re-thinking How We Operate

Sustainability at ADF doesn’t stop at the production base, it’s embedded in how we run our entire business.

Behind the scenes, smarter route planning and improved vehicle tracking help reduce empty miles and unnecessary generator hours. Our depots are increasingly powered by renewable energy. Our fleet is evolving, with Euro 6 vehicles now standard and ongoing evaluations of electric and hybrid alternatives. We’ve also recently introduced new trailer designs, built in the UK with recyclable materials and integrated solar capacity.

Our journey is about constantly asking: what can we do better? And then taking real, achievable steps toward that answer.

Building on Momentum

We’re proud to be part of a community that is pushing for positive change. In July, we attended the Wales Sustainability in Production event at Great Point Studios as an event sponsor – a valuable opportunity to share knowledge, learn from others, and champion progress across the production sector and beyond. We also took part in Sustainability Behind the Lens at Garden Studios in June, further strengthening our commitment to driving sustainable practices within the industry.

“At Facilities by ADF, we view sustainability as a collective responsibility. From early learnings on forward-thinking productions like Havoc to the integrated solutions we’re delivering today, we’re proud of the progress we’ve made. And with the support of our teams, partners, and customers, we’re excited to keep moving our sustainable initiatives forward.”

— James Long, COO, Facilities by ADF